What Is an American Essay

Josh Hamlet
8/15/13
2nd Period English 2
Mrs. Tsirgiotis The great French author, Alexis de Tocqueville once stated, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” The United States of America was founded upon morals and principles that have led it and its citizens to become the greatest in the world. These virtues, such as perseverance, courage, and sacrifice have made up America: what it means to be an American citizen, and what citizens can do to make America great. The more perseverant someone is the better they will survive and thrive in America, and in return the better America will become. At the age of 5 young Canadian boy Spencer West tragically lost both of his legs, and doctors told him he would never walk or have an active life again. He defied all odds, and he learned to overcome every obstacle in his way. He figured out how to walk only by using his arms and hands, and in 7 grueling days he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Spencer showed everyone that nothing is impossible with perseverance, and he is an inspiration for everyone. Immigrants who have come to America may have both of their legs unlike Spencer, but they have to overcome many difficult obstacles on their journey. Immigrants come from around the world, leaving their family, and they work their tails off for years to become successful and thrive in a better world. Often, once they make enough money they send the money to their family back in their country to help pay for their family to come to America to be with them, losing everything they worked for. It is true perseverance like that which overtime has evolved America into the hard working country we live in today.
In Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem IF he spoke directly concerning courage. He wrote: If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss
Many Americans through history have immigrated to America on every last dime, yen, pound, or rupee they had. It took a tremendous amount of courage to leave everything they had behind to go to America. Along with being courageous, immigrants also had to understand the possibility that they would fail and lose everything. Without courage you will never take the chances to become something, and without ever taking chances you will never become successful. Being successful in life is all about perseverance and how much an individual wants work to reach their goals. Despite the fact that sacrifice implies you are giving something of yourself that you’re built on and worked hard for, people must sacrifice beyond measure for: their family, their community, and their country. Just like immigrants being courageous, they also have to make sacrifices. Many times a father will sacrifice his time with his wife and kids to work and make money so that he can provide for his…

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